明日之光First Step团队参与新年庆祝活动小记
Volunteers from the First Step team participated in the Lunar New Year celebration in Atlanta
First Step团队志愿者参与亚特兰大农历新年庆祝活动小记
By Qiushi(Rachel) Li/李秋实
January 21, 2023 is also the Chinese Lunar New Year eve. The Spring Festival brought the biting winter a warm feeling. To celebrate the coming of the Kuimao Year, many places held Lunar New Year celebrations in Atlanta, GA. Most of the members of the First step volunteer team are Chinese-American, and they actively participate in various activities.
2023年1月21日，也是中国农历的除夕。正当新春佳节，寒冷凛冬也多了几分暖意。为迎接癸卯年的到来，乔治亚州亚特兰大有多处举行了农历新年的庆祝活动。美中下一代教育基金会明日之光First step 志愿者团队成员都是华人/华裔孩子，踊跃的参与到各个活动中。
Gwinnett County Public School Lunar New Year Gala held up in Parkview High School, which is also the school I study in. The celebration started at 4 pm, and First Step volunteers arrived here four hours before the celebration in advance to help with the decoration of the venue. The scene was full of Chinese elements, paper umbrellas, lanterns, giant folding fans, Spring Festival couplets, all arranged by the students who participated in the activity. Volunteers had their own responsibilities, and I was in charge of the overall layout. Some of the other volunteers worked together to build the dragon model, and some had to step on tall ladders to arrange lanterns. Until the performance started, the volunteers were still working. Especially, three volunteers participated cleaning after all the guests left. The 8-9 hour work required enthusiasm and physical strength.
Gwinnett学区的新年庆祝活动刚好在我所在高中Parkview High School举行。晚会在下午4点开始， First Step的志愿者们提前了四个小时来到现场帮忙进行场地的布置。现场中华元素满满，纸伞，灯笼，巨型折扇，春联，都是参加活动的同学们亲手布置。志愿者们各有职责，我被安排帮忙整体布局。其他志愿者们有的齐心合力来拼建巨龙模型，有的要踩着高高的梯子布置灯笼。直到节目开始，志愿者们依然忙碌。尤其有三位志愿者在活动结束还参与场地清扫工作，长达8、9个小时的工作需要热情更需要体力。
The City of Johns Creek’s Lunar New Year celebration was held at the Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater inside Newtown park. It is the first time that the event was officially supported by the Johns Creek City Government, and funded by many Chinese businesses. Since the activity was held outdoors, the temperature of the day was not suitable, and the work of the volunteers was even harder. Some people stepped on ladders to help stick the couplets on the walls, others helped to set up booths, prepare for the water-ink calligraphy textile, participated in the charity sale, and there was one volunteer who recorded this precious moment with a camera. They all did the best they could, to help the celebration provide us a beautiful memory.
另一个重要的庆祝活动是在Newtown内Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater举办，活动首次有Johns Creek市政府官方支持，还有众多华人商家的资助，声势浩大，现场车水马龙非常热闹。由于活动在在室外，当天气温不算适宜，志愿者们的工作也是更辛苦。有人踩着梯子帮忙在柱子上贴对联，有人帮忙布置摊位，铺上了水写布，摆上了毛笔，参与义卖，还有志愿者参与录制视频，记录这珍贵的一刻。他们各自发挥特长，各显神通。
Some volunteers participated in the Forsyth County New Year’s celebration held at the Sharon Forks Library. Some members joined in the performance of the show, some volunteers provided various Chinese elements for the exhibition, and some volunteers helped introduce and teach the guests Chinese paper-cutting. Not only did many Chinese people enjoy the event, but it also attracted many other ethnic groups interested in Chinese culture.
还有一部分志愿者参与了在 Sharon Forks Library举办的Forsyth County新年庆祝活动。有些成员参与了节目的表演，有些志愿者为展览提供了各种中国元素的展品，有的志愿者向人们展示中国的剪纸。现场不仅有很多华人参加，也吸引了很多美国其他族裔的浓厚兴趣。
A total of 17 volunteers from the First Step team helped hold up in the New Year’s celebration, the total working hours reached 168 hours. During this event, the volunteers contributed their efforts to the success of holding this event and also felt the unique charm of Chinese culture. Not only do we see the inheritance of Chinese traditions among young people, but we are also delighted to see the gradual expansion of Chinese influence in the United States. We are also working hard to promote Chinese traditional culture and make this influence more profound!
这次的新年庆祝活动first Step 团队共有17名志愿者参与，工作总时长达到168小时。这次活动中，志愿者们为活动的顺利举行贡献了自己的力量，在整个过程中也深刻的感受到中国文化的独特魅力。我们不仅感受到中华传统在年轻人身上的传承，更欣喜地看到了华人在美国影响力的逐步扩大，我们也在努力弘扬中华传统文化，让这种影响更加深远！
